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Milk Protein Allergy

Desperately looking for some help! My 6 week old daughter has been very fussy while breast feeding and has a rash on her face. She cries so much like she is in a lot of pain. Pulls off the breast and then latches back on. I took her to the doctor on Monday and doc said she had microscopic blood in her stool. She diagnosed her with milk protein allergy and told me to either change my diet or start feeding her soy formula. She said if I wish to continue breast feeding, then I should feed her the soy formula and pump and dump while I clean up my diet and my body rids itself of the milk protein. I tried feeding her the soy formula but she cried even more when I fed her the bottle. I have since also tried similac alimentum and infamil nutramigen but she cries and will only take about an ounce before she wears herself out and falls asleep. I have continued to breast feed her eventhough doc said not to and she now takes the breast much better. She still seems colicky and has not pooped in 2 days now. I think it may be because of the formula I've given her. The rash is still there, the doc said it was baby acne but it is red, and seems to flare up when she gets upset. Any suggestion on what I should do? I really want to continue breast feeding her but I need her to feel better and I'm worried about the rash. Help please.

Re: Milk Protein Allergy

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Your baby's symptoms could be caused by a reaction to milk protein in your diet. Skin rashes(eczema) and blood in stool can be caused by this, although it is not the only casue-for example, blood in stool could also result from forceful letdown/overproduction. I am confused if your pediatrician thinks the rash an allergic eczema, or baby acne?

In any case you should know that there is by no means consensus among doctors that a suspected or known allergy means a mother must stop nursing until her body is 'cleansed." Many doctors would suggest eliminating dairy from your own diet while continuing to nurse.

She still seems colicky and has not pooped in 2 days now. I think it may be because of the formula I've given her.

Less frequent poop could be caused by the changes in the gut environment due to formula. (any kind.) But it is also entirely normal for a 6 week old or older baby to start pooping less frequently, going several days or even longer between poops.

If you have eliminated dairy from your diet and that was the cause of baby's issues, you can expect to see some noticeable improvement in a few days, although most protocols suggest eliminating dairy for 2 weeks. (Again, while continuing to nurse!) If you do not see improvement by then, the issue was not dairy, and you can begin consuming dairy again while you try eliminating another suspect. Ironically, while dairy is by far the most common allergen transmitted via breastmilk, soy is another top contender. It can be hard to eliminate dairy, many foods you would not suspect will contain some form of cow milk products.

This article from the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine discusses allergic proctocolitis in the breastfed infant, including info on how to approach diet eliminations without starving mom. As you can see, these medical doctors do NOT suggest stopping nursing and switching to formula when an allergy is suspected. http://www.bfmed.org/Media/Files/Pro...ish_120211.pdf You can share this with your baby's doctor, as it is written by and for medical professionals.

Re: Milk Protein Allergy

Thank you very much for your reply. To answer your question about the rash, the pediatrician said it was baby acne.

Originally Posted by @llli*lllmeg

Hi and welcome to the forum!
Your baby's symptoms could be caused by a reaction to milk protein in your diet. Skin rashes(eczema) and blood in stool can be caused by this, although it is not the only casue-for example, blood in stool could also result from forceful letdown/overproduction. I am confused if your pediatrician thinks the rash an allergic eczema, or baby acne?

In any case you should know that there is by no means consensus among doctors that a suspected or known allergy means a mother must stop nursing until her body is 'cleansed." Many doctors would suggest eliminating dairy from your own diet while continuing to nurse.

Less frequent poop could be caused by the changes in the gut environment due to formula. (any kind.) But it is also entirely normal for a 6 week old or older baby to start pooping less frequently, going several days or even longer between poops.

If you have eliminated dairy from your diet and that was the cause of baby's issues, you can expect to see some noticeable improvement in a few days, although most protocols suggest eliminating dairy for 2 weeks. (Again, while continuing to nurse!) If you do not see improvement by then, the issue was not dairy, and you can begin consuming dairy again while you try eliminating another suspect. Ironically, while dairy is by far the most common allergen transmitted via breastmilk, soy is another top contender. It can be hard to eliminate dairy, many foods you would not suspect will contain some form of cow milk products.

This article from the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine discusses allergic proctocolitis in the breastfed infant, including info on how to approach diet eliminations without starving mom. As you can see, these medical doctors do NOT suggest stopping nursing and switching to formula when an allergy is suspected. http://www.bfmed.org/Media/Files/Pro...ish_120211.pdf You can share this with your baby's doctor, as it is written by and for medical professionals.

Re: Milk Protein Allergy

I was told the same thing about my son's rash. It wasn't acne and cleared up within a week or two of eliminating dairy (while still nursing! Don't stop). It would flare up again in small patches on his chest or shoulders whenever I ate too much dairy or actual milk rather than cheese or yogurt for the first year. He would wake up screaming all day and night, obviously in pain. I used the ' Medical Causes of Night waking ' in the Sears baby sleep book to help me figure out the issue and a baby acne like rash is included in the symptoms as well as many other things I would have never noticed, like puffy shadowed eyes, which also cleared up with dairy elimination.
It may or not be the case for you. I can't say. Listen to your mommy gut if you think something is wrong!

Re: Milk Protein Allergy

Originally Posted by @llli*lllmeg

This article from the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine discusses allergic proctocolitis in the breastfed infant, including info on how to approach diet eliminations without starving mom. As you can see, these medical doctors do NOT suggest stopping nursing and switching to formula when an allergy is suspected. http://www.bfmed.org/Media/Files/Pro...ish_120211.pdf You can share this with your baby's doctor, as it is written by and for medical professionals.

This is a terrific resource and I would definitely share it with your pediatrician.

How has baby's weight gain been? When a baby is gaining weight at a normal pace, bloody poops, fussiness, and rashes are things to watch but not to freak out over or to stop breastfeeding over.

Re: Milk Protein Allergy

Thank you for your response. This site has been so helpful.
Baby has been gaining weight at a normal pace. At her last Dr appointment she'd gained 2 lbs in the last 16 days. Thank you for the encouragement, I will definitely continue to breast feed.

Originally Posted by @llli*mommal

This is a terrific resource and I would definitely share it with your pediatrician.

How has baby's weight gain been? When a baby is gaining weight at a normal pace, bloody poops, fussiness, and rashes are things to watch but not to freak out over or to stop breastfeeding over.

Re: Milk Protein Allergy

So in the last 2 weeks she gained approximately a pound per week. That's very rapid weight gain. Do you happen to have a lot of milk? Seeing some or all of the following:
- Frequent feelings of fullness or engorgement
- Lots of leaking
- Strong letdown sensation (if you are a mom who experiences this sensation)
- Able to pump a lot of milk with little effort (if you are pumping)
- Baby feeds very rapidly, perhaps in as little as 5-10 minutes
- Baby wants only 1 breast per feeding
- Baby pulls off the breast while nursing
- If baby pulls off the breast while nursing, you may see milk squirting or streaming from the breast
- Baby coughs, gags, splutters, or makes a click of cluck noise while nursing